I really wanted a pair of Earnest Wright shears which my lovely husband bought me in the summer for my birthday. Like you UR I am disappointed with them. They were so stiff that I couldn’t open them with my thumb and forefinger. They seemed to be binding halfway along the blades so I sent them back to be adjusted. I still can’t get on with them and have reverted to my 30 year old Wilkinson Sword (fiskars)